Gentlewoman: Etiquette for a Lady, From a Gentleman by Enitan O. Bereola

“All you are is pretty” has got to be the worst compliment ever. We’d rather have a Lady with Bachelor of Science stamped on her degree than Mattel stamped on her tail. What’s your worth?
    For what it’s worth, you couldn’t pay for it. No job, degree or salary will cover the cost. You might receive rewards, status and luxury for those carnal accomplishments, but that’s not the real measure of your worth. Your true worth is the value of your soul.
    Ephesians 2:10 says she’s God’s masterpiece…but she still searches for likes on online.

    Do You Care What Men Think?
    Benecia Williams
Fashion Stylist
    I believe everyone cares about what someone thinks. There’s motivation behind what we do as a whole. Although it may not be the immediate driving force, there’s always an influence. Let me be very clear, I am a woman. It will never matter how calloused or disconnected from emotion I’ve mastered to be [at any given time]; I care about my perception from the man’s perspective. This perspective does not dictate my womanly responsibility, but it sheds light on my overall behavior and this is a reflection of how I carry myself. For me, it’s better to be safe than sorry. I’m a very traditional, paint-inside-the-lines kind of woman. I believe in the theories of being a Lady: Cross the legs at the ankles, stand with your legs together, never cut a man at the knees kind of theory. It’s not for everyone, but I’d like to remain a woman, not a woMAN. Because perception is no longer independently exclusive, practicing a more respectable behavior isn’t a negative. Who really wants to be discussed in the same conversation as a harlot just because I own the freedom of expression, and I can abuse it if I want to, yet still remain who I believe I am in MY head? My mother always used to tell me, “If you want people to know who you are, you show them.” You must be a walking, talking testimony to who you want to be at all times. That’s sheer discipline and control. That’s a gentlewoman!
    Ben Wills is a men’s wardrobe consultant; she works with celebrities, athletes and artists. Ben is the editor of TheWellDressedMan.net and creator of the Well Dressed Initiative used to present mentorship between males and encourage young men in putting their best foot forward.

Inner Views

Inner Views: Interviews
    Meagan Good
Award-Winning Actress | Producer
    Define femininity?
     
Femininity is self-love. Loving all of your perfect imperfections. Understanding your immeasurable beauty inside and out. Loving the skin and the being that God created you to be as a woman.
    You represent a woman of faith who expresses herself in a very contemporary way. Some might call it sexual. What do you say about that?
I’m most definitely a woman of Faith. I love Jesus Christ with all of my heart and every essence of my being. As a Christian and within “our” society, we’re taught certain levels of appropriateness [like dressing up for church]. But I prefer arriving comfortably. I don’t believe that God requires us to dress up for Him. I like being able to lift my hands and praise without the restriction of a tight jacket. I like being able to get on my knees if I want to [without the restriction of a skirt or dress]. I believe that He loves us no matter what we wear and no matter how we come. As we seek Him, if He has an issue with the way that we’re carrying (or dressing) ourselves, I believe He will reveal it to us if we’re willing to hear Him. I’m not one who worries much about what’s appropriate by man’s standards. Man’s opinion of appropriateness sways often depending on the circumstance. Although I never intend or wish to offend anybody, I’m more concerned about what my heavenly Father thinks of me. And I believe that the word of God is true when it states that man looks at the appearance, but God looks at the heart. I think if we had God’s eyes, we would focus more on people’s hearts instead of